The death toll was so high in this case because the twister happened to rampage through a poulated area, a "rare event" in the words of Russ Schneider, director of the Storm Prediction Center, which has been a very busy place this spring.

Over 1,000 tornadoes have touched down so far this season, and the record 1,817 sightings of 2004 isn't out of reach.

With the incredible late April outbreak, the seasonal death toll stands at 454. That's the highest total through May since 1950.

This season, for reasons that aren't clear, the tornado belts have shifted to the east. Schneider said that's contributed to the death toll, since areas to the east tend to be more populated than the traditional domains of tornado alley.

Schneider warned that "a major tornado outbreak" is possible in the central United States tomorrow, including in cities such as Wichita and Tulsa.

When we’re around and conditions warrant, we’ll keep you updated about what’s coming, but we will do our best always to discuss weather and climate developments in context and remind you that nothing in the atmosphere happens in a vacuum.

Tony Wood has been writing about the atmosphere for The Inquirer for 26 years.